Image Source: Vogue, link: https://www.vogue.com/article/jacinda-ardern-earthquake-live-tv-interview
By: Visakha G
Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, recently announced her resignation stating a burnout from her work. She stated- “I no longer have enough in the tank to do the job justice”.
She was known for her resilient leadership amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic and serves as an inspiration to many girls who want to make it into the male-dominated field of Politics. Her resignation came as a shock to many, however without wasting any time the “experts” have made this a gender issue. Instead of appreciating her blatant honesty and boldness to show her vulnerability, a quality that only a few leaders have, Why did this become a “women can’t have all” issue? If a male leader would have resigned stating the same reason would this issue have been raised at all? No, he would have received accolades for owning up to his mental health. These double standards prevail in all fields, being a little more evident in politics.
Jacinda Ardern is the leader of the Central-left wing Labour Party who became the Prime Minister in 2017 and got re-elected in 2021 with a staggering majority. She was the youngest person to be an elected leader of New Zealand. During her term, she took many inspiring steps to navigate her country through multiple crises. In 2019, during the heartbreaking terrorist attacks at the Christchurch Mosque that killed 51 people, Jacinda’s humility set a benchmark for leaders around the world. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she was successful in reducing its impact to a significant extent, pushing down the mortality rates and gathering appreciation on a global level.
Further, her government came out with a progressive budget that focused on mental health, child well-being and providing support to indigenous communities. She was also the second world leader to give birth while in office and she even took her daughter to the UN Assembly, setting an example for many.
However, despite all her achievements, she too had to battle sexism throughout her career which she wasn’t afraid of calling out. Male journalists often ask her irrelevant questions like “How is your hair doing?”, “When her child was due?” and even make snide comments about her appearance. She recently called out a journalist who questioned her if the Finnish PM, Sanna Marin, and she were friends because they were young female leaders. She instantly responded by saying if they would ask the same question to “Barack Obama and John Key if they met because they were of a similar age”. And even now, in the wake of her resignation, BBC came out with a sexist headline “Can women have it all?” for which they later apologized. It is ironic to think that New Zealand was the first country to give Franchises to women in 1893 but still can’t take a female PM’s resignation for what it is. This in itself is a testimony to the amount of sexism women all over the world have to face irrespective of how big they make in their lives.
It primarily stems from the age-old narrative of juxtaposing power with the male sex. From the Platonian era to now, women have had to shatter the barriers at home and outside, to reach any leadership position. In politics, men and the media use sexism as a tool to protect their superior identity. If women don the hat of an understanding leader, they are being called too emotional and if they are bold and outspoken, they are portrayed as villainous.
Due to all these reasons, there is grave under-representation of women in politics. Out of 195 countries around the world, only 16 are led by females. In India too, there are only 84 seats occupied by women out of the total 552 seats in Lok Sabha. At the end, it isn’t about making way for women just through affirmative action but by creating enabling environments that would support them to flourish. And, will motivate young girls to take up any role without hesitation and self-doubt.
Jacinda Ardern is a pure icon for owning up to her truth and most importantly being true to her post and her fellow New Zealanders.
References
- Sitara Srinivas, “Jacinda Ardern: One woman, many legacies”, Observer Research Foundation, https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/jacinda-ardern-one-woman-many-legacies/
- Ivana Saric, “Ardern’s exit after “unprecedented” threats shows toll of burnout for women leaders”, Axios, https://www.axios.com/2023/01/19/jacinda-ardern-politics-women-threats-government
- Van Badham, “Jacinda Ardern’s graceful departure is the personification of modern democratic ideals”, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/19/jacinda-ardern-new-zealand-pm-resignation-modern-democratic-ideals
- The Indian Express, “‘Wonder if Obama…’: New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern counters reporter’s sexist question”, https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/new-zealand-pm-jacinda-ardern-counters-reporters-sexist-question-8300215/
The Silent Sexism Project 